CALIFORNIA TRASH ON THE DECLINE

Progress made by recycling also seen in county figures

Californians have reduced their trash volume to a record low, according to state figures showing that residents discarded an average of 4.3 pounds of garbage per day last year.

That’s down from the previous low of 4.4 pounds per person each day in 2011, according to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, known as CalRecycle. By comparison, Californians tossed more than 8 pounds per person each day in 1989 — the year the state’s Integrated Waste Management Act went into effect.

The waste average represents the total trash disposed statewide — 29.3 million tons last year — divided by the state’s population of 37.7 million for 2012.

The figure includes industrial and commercial waste as well as household garbage. So the per-person average encompasses not only what individuals throw away, but also the garbage tossed by factories, construction sites and retail establishments.

San Diego County discarded 5 pounds per person per day last year, a bit more than the state average. But the county’s trash disposal rates also showed a downward trend in recent years, dropping from 5.4 pounds per person each day last year and from a peak of 7.5 pounds per person per day in 2005, said CalRecycle spokesman Mark Oldfield.

“You can’t compare across jurisdictions, because they’re unique,” Oldfield said. “San Diego County is looking at its own targets.”

For instance, the city of San Diego faced a daily trash target of 8.4 pounds per person in 2011, but discarded an average of just 5.9 pounds per person. Oceanside, with a daily target of 6.3 pounds per person for 2011, reported only 4 pounds of garbage per person.

The state average has fluctuated since the waste management act went into effect, hovering at 6 pounds or more per day for the decade between 1997 and 2006. With the collapse of the housing market in recent years, trash volume fell as well — dropping to 5.7 pounds in 2007 and declining each year afterward.

“As the economy slowed, you had less consumption, less construction or less waste produced,” Oldfield said. “One of the challenges moving forward will be, as the economy continues to improve, how do we continue the strides we’ve taken while reducing greater amounts of waste?”

Curbside recycling has helped divert trash, while an increasing variety of plastic and other materials can be recycled. Organic waste, including food scraps and lawn trimmings, make up the biggest component of the waste stream, Oldfield said, so large-scale composting will be a high priority.

“As we move forward, organics and food waste will be low-hanging fruit,” he said.